By Full Compass LiveWhen you’re on stage, the last thing you want to think about is your in-ear monitors. Any time you spend fiddling with settings to get the right sound, worrying about range, and troubleshooting your packs is time you could be spending locking into the groove. User-friendly, professional-grade in-ear monitors aren’t a luxury — they’re a necessity. With that in mind, I put the U500 IEM from LD Systems through the paces in my gigs as a solo act and with a band to see how it performed in action.
Simple Setup
Setting up the U500 IEM was a breeze. It barely took me a minute to mount the transmitterDefinition:
Any device that sends an electrical signal, typically radio waves or by wire. into my rackDefinition:
A frame for holding gear that meets an industry standard for enclosures. This specifies a 19 inch width, and a height that is some multiple of 1.75 inches. A rack frame can be open or enclosed, and has rails drilled with standardized screw holes for attaching rack equipment., and its antennaDefinition:
A device for radiating or receiving electromagnetic signals. can also mount externally on the rack — handy. It was simple to pair my belt packDefinition:
A portable, body-worn device, often an intercom, wireless mic, or listening device. It gets its name because they is often a clip for making a secure attachment to a belt. with the transmitter. Once you pair the packs, an IRDefinition:
(InfraRed) invisible light used for remote control devices and for IR wireless audio involving headsets and microphones. syncing feature ensures they stay paired, even if you change channels or frequencies.
Another quality-of-life design choice I appreciated was the inclusion of 10 customizable presets. I found myself often using three — one for my solo performances, one with my band, and one for my regular performance venue, where the in-house sound is often muddy in the low end. For that presetDefinition:
1. (verb) Ability to set parameters in advance, and recall those parameter values as desired. 2. (noun) A collection of parameter values stored within a device, or externally., I used the three-band EQ to brighten my personal mix.
Intuitive Design
During performances, I had no trouble navigating my bodypack. Aside from the knob that controls volume and power on the top of the pack, a sliding panel protects all controls, which means I never accidentally swapped my settings even while I was active on stage. The AA battery-powered packs offer 10 hours of runtime, and despite playing it conservatively, I found I was only swapping out every three or four gigs.
The pack itself felt rugged and premium at the same time, with a rubbery texture comprising most of the pack with sleek metal-looking accents. With the addition of a replaceable antenna, often a weak spot in IEM design, the U500 is built to withstand being knocked around on tour. The transmitter is sleek and user-friendly, too, with an easy-to-read LEDDefinition:
LED (Light-Emitting Diode): A semiconductor light generator used in displays, television, pointers and for general illumination. It is a low-power replacement for incandescent lamps. screen and selection knob that allows for speedy setting adjustments.
Professional-Level Sound
Most importantly, the sound quality is reliably excellent. The U500 boasts a 300-foot range, which means unless you’re headlining Madison Square Garden (and even then), you’ll run out of stage before you run out of range. I appreciated the option to swap between stereoDefinition:
A two channel signal simulating a sound space, typically played through two speakers. and monoDefinition:
Short for Monophonic. An audio program, recording, or hardware device/software routine that produces or processes a signal with only one channel. monitoring depending on my effects. With 96 channels and plenty of frequencies to choose from, I never encountered interference, either.
For the technically-minded, the U500 is best-in-class. The low noise floorDefinition:
The unalterable, lowest noise level within a system, measured in dB. For example, microphone preamp hiss might set the noise floor in a recording situation., with a signal-to-noise ratioDefinition:
Abbreviated SNR. The ratio in dB between the noise floor and a nominal signal level (not the maximum level, which instead defines the Dynamic Range. See Dynamic Range.) greater than 95 dBDefinition:
1. A deciBel is a logarithmic ratio between two quantities, and is a nonlinear measurement that mimics human perception. 2. A unit expressing sound levels relative to a nominal level just audible by the average human ear, and equal to 1/10th of a Bel. 3. (slang) Database. and less than 0.3% THDDefinition:
(Total Harmonic Distortion) See Harmonic Distortion., is a highlight. Alongside the aforementioned 3-band EQ with parametric mids, a switchable limiterDefinition:
A form of compressor with a ratio of infinity:1 above the threshold for both overload protection, or as a sound effect to normalize volume. Some engineers consider a compressor with a ratio of 20:1 or higher above the threshold for a limiter., and a squelchDefinition:
A circuit in a RF radio receiver that mutes noise when signal is not present. circuit, I don’t think there’s a better price-to-performance in-ear monitoring system on the market.
Takeaway
The U500 offers all the features I need for my solo gigs around town and the small tours I take with my band around the region. After the initial setup, my IEMs were one less thing to worry about rather than a technical riddle the band and myself needed to wrestle with night after night. They gave me access to professional sound that didn’t require a professional sound engineer to rigDefinition:
A combination of equipment put together for a purpose. up. For any performing musician who prizes sound quality and user-centric design over all else, the U500 in-ear monitors are for you.
